| An Ghleann | |||||||||
| Founded: | 1948 | ||||||||
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| County: | Derry | ||||||||
| Nickname: | Wattys | ||||||||
| Club colours: | Green, White and Yellow | ||||||||
| Grounds: | Watty Graham Park | ||||||||
| Playing kits | |||||||||
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| Senior Club Championships | |||||||||
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Watty Graham's GAC Glen (Irish: An Ghleann) is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Maghera, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The team draws players from Maghera and some surrounding townlands. They currently cater for Gaelic football, Ladies' Gaelic football and Camogie.
Glen are also committed to Scor, and won the All-Ireland Scor na nOg dancing. We also won the Ulster Scor Sinsear dancing, again we wish to acknowledge the help of the Allen School of Dancing in this achievement.
Underage teams up to U-12's play in South Derry league and championships, from U-14 upwards teams compete in All-Derry competitions.
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Watty Grahams Glen continue to fulfil the mandate of the GAA and fields Gaelic football teams at U6, U8, U10, U12, U14, U16, Minor, Reserve and Senior levels. The Senior team competes in the Derry Senior Football Championship and Division 1 of the Derry ACFL.
Glen underage continue to dominate the Derry scene and in 2009 they won, U12 Indoor Meadowbank Tournament, U13 Championship, U14 League, U14 Championship, U14 7's, U14 Stephen Quinn Trophey, U14 Ulster Feile, U15 Derry Og Sport, U15 Ulster Og Sport and U16 League & U18 League Runners Up.
Glen fields Camogie teams at U12, U14, U16, Minor and Senior levels. The senior team competes in the Credit Union Derry Premier League.
Glen Ladies football club was formed in 1995.[2] The club have won the Derry Senior Ladies' Football Championship 11 times and currently have won nine in a row.
The club's home ground is Watty Graham Park. It was opened 1982 by then GAA President Paddy Buggy.[3] The first game held there was an over-35s game, which was followed by an inter-county match between Derry and Armagh.[3] Celtic Park in Derry City is officially recognised as Derry's main county ground,[4] but Watty Graham Park along with Dean McGlinchey Park in Ballinascreen is regarded as one of two secondary stadia[4] and has hosted a number of National League and Dr. McKenna Cup games in recent years. Watty Graham Park can currently hold a capacity of about 6,000 people.[3]
The Watty Graham club evolved from what was called the Pearse's club whose origins go back as early as 1933, when Fr Anthony Doherty among others arranged a South Derry league. The club reached the 1944 South Derry final and a few of their players represented Derry.[1]
After the folding of the Pearse's club, Watty Graham's GAC Glen was officially formed in 1948. In the early 1950s they competed in a number of South Derry Finals and in 1953 they defeated St. John's Mullan (a townland of Ballinderry) to win the South Derry Junior Championship. They won the same title six years later defeating The Loup in the final.
In 1964 they won the South Derry Junior and Derry Junior Football Championship by beating Littlebridge (part of the modern day Ógra Colmcille club) and Sarfield's respectively.[1] The side repeated this feat in 1966 by beating The Loup in the South Derry Junior final before going on to win the Derry Junior final. The 1970s proved a barren decade for Watty Graham's and they have little apart from a McGlinchey Cup success in 1974 to show for it.[1] Glen opened a new social club in Maghera in April 1976.
The club won their first Derry Intermediate Football Championship in 1980. They overcame Drumsurn in the final by 0-06 to 0-03. 13 June 1982 saw the opening of Watty Graham Park. GAA President Paddy Buggy opened the pitch and it was blessed local priest Fr McMenamin. Watty Graham Park's first game was an over 35s game, it was followed afterwards by a game between Derry and Armagh. Glen won a second Intermediate Championship in 1983 defeating Drum in the final.[1]
In 1985 Watty Graham's won the All-Ireland Óg Sport title. They competed in county, provincial and All Ireland phases to come out winners. Two years later they won the Derry Minor Football Championship with a success over Ballinascreen. The same year Glen won the Larkin Cup and also the Senior Division 1 League. The side added another Larkin Cup in 1995. Glen won their fourth and fifth Junior Championship in 2004 and 2005, the competitions this time won by the Glen Thirds team. This same Thirds team went on to win three in a row by winning the Thirds Championship in 2006.
Note 1: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.
Note 2: Most of the Ladiess' honours are only updated as far as 2002. Please add any other honours you know of.
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